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Hel-Kataylln
Hel-Kataylln. Hel-Kataylln is the icy northern homeland of an offshoot of Drow who have colonized it since they were exiled from their homeland during a civil war and is located west of Norsica. The continent is split by a vast and rugged mountain range called the Icespines. The high average elevation and climate factors combine to make the average temperature across most of the continent bitterly cold. Thus Hel-Kataylln has also been called the "Land of Chill". Most of the continent is harsh and unforgiving wilderness, making travel overland extremely difficult. The Drow have overcome this problem by exploring and charting a vast labyrinth of underground waterways which connect a series of fortified gates across the land. There are three major settlements in Hel-Kataylln which contain a significant portion of the Drow population. These towns were built as multi-walled fortresses and almost all life in Hel-Kataylln is centered around them. Hel-Kurana, the capital, is the seat of power for Queen Hel-Vistana, the undisputed ruler of the Drow and her royal court. Hel-Kavok is the northernmost town and is the main center for the Temple of the Night Mother whom these Drow revere entirely. Hel-Kar is a fortress on the western Pennisula that houses the clergy of Night Mother Life is restricting for the drow however they live next to door to Ka-dun and its trolls and giants are quite fond of a tasty drow. This makes life outside of the major city a very real struggle for survival and while mounted warriors on giant frost spiders patrol the underground tunnels, the trolls take people every year and most attempts are new settlements end in death and dinner. These drow have rejected the outside world and are xenophobic in the extreme with the exception of the Uldra whom they trade with on a rare occassion The Night Mother. The Night Mother is a primal spirit of darkness and night and the drow of Hel-Kataylln worship and beg her to hide them from the rest of the world and including the machinations of Lolth. The Night Mother dicates that the dark as meant for mortals to feel safe and hide from the terrors of the world and that dreams are the future undiluted. Therefore these drow often try to commune with her in a walking dream like state by consuming vast quantities of a yellow herb called dream root in a tea form. Trade. The drow here trade with the uldra and rarely the neanderthals for furs, meat, timber and dogs. In exchange they supply these races with worked iron and steel goods. The Drow town of Hel-Kurana sits on an iron deposit far underground and the drow work it as it’s needed. The drow don’t like leaving the protective walls of the towns and this arrangement suits them just fine. Herbs and spices are worth more than gold to the drow and salt in particular is always in high demand. The drow farm various fungi that are extremely tasty and nutrient packed. Culture. The drow culture here is unlike that elsewhere. They are a quiet and morose lot and there is no gender inequality. They only feel settled when in shadows and in commune with the Night Mother. They hold festivals but only at night and underground. They see the icy plains as death and will never willingly travel above ground if they can avoid it. They dress in the skins and furs of animals and travel between the towns by the use of gondalas on the underground rivers. They also fish these caverns and patrol them regularly.